Standards, Stage, Solo
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and fifty-four: ABCs #19 Will decides it's time for Brittany to have her first solo.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh cycle. Now here's cycle 8!_

_Walking through a bookstore back in december, I saw the series of books by Sue Grafton that go "A is for...," "B is for...," etc, and I got the idea for this set. It will spread over the end of cycle 6, and carry through cycles 7 and 8, to be posted on alternating days. [And by the time we reach the end, Glee will be a week away!!] What I did is I found three words for each letter that would have some significance to Glee, and I built a plot around it. You with me? Okay, here we go..._  
_**19 of 26:** S is for..._

* * *

**"Standards, Stage, Solo"  
Will & Brittany**

Will had had it in mind for a while, that there were some in his group who weren't as often in front, always staying in the back. Part of it no doubt had to do with him, and with the way he usually called on some people, again and again. With most of them, it wasn't that he didn't think about it, but there was one he was concerned with bringing to the front, out of obscurity.

Brittany was a particular kind of person. Before she'd been one of his Glee Club kids, she was already one of his students in Spanish class. There too, she was quiet. If not for how she struggled in class, he might not have noticed too much she was even there.

She was different in Glee Club. She wasn't struggling, and it showed. She was happy, didn't walk in like she was on trial, the way she did when she walked into Spanish class. So how crazy was it really to want to give her something more to be happy about?

After Spanish class one day, he'd remained at his desk, watching his students file out until she passed by his desk. "Hey, Brittany, can you hang back a minute?" she hesitated, then stepped up.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked slowly.

"No, no, sit down." She turned and grabbed a chair, bringing it to the teacher's desk. "Brittany, I… I wanted to talk about Glee Club, actually, and I… I was thinking it might be time you got your first solo." She stared at him for a while… a long while, like she was processing what he said, but it took a bit for her to react to it. Finally, she blinked, smiled. He smiled back.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Okay," he replied. "Here's what I want you to do. I want you to find one song, one that's already in you somewhere, that really means a lot to you." She nodded along as he spoke. "Do you think you can do that?" She continued to nod, then paused.

"I don't know…"

"It's alright," he promised. "Take some time to think about it, and when you've got something, you just come to me, okay?" she smiled and nodded. "Good, alright. Off you go."

For a couple weeks, he could tell she was thinking about it, but she didn't come to him yet, so she must not have found her song yet. He could tell she was trying to find it though, so he waited for as long as she needed to.

Finally one afternoon, after Glee practice, she came to him at the piano, quiet with mischief. He gave her a smile. "Yes, Brittany?"

"I found my song."

"Did you?" she blinked.

"Yes…" she looked around. He nodded to himself with a smile before looking back at her.

"What's the song?" She pulled her school bag open and pulled out a sheet, handing it to him. Reading the title, he grinned.

"Is it okay?" she asked.

"It's perfect," he assured her. "You'll do it well," he moved to Brad at the piano and showed him the sheet. The man nodded – he didn't need to see the notes on this one. He gave the blonde girl a smile, as Will gave the sheet back to her. "Are you nervous?" Will asked her.

"Maybe… a little," she admitted. "But it's okay… I like being nervous."

"You do?" he laughed lightly.

"Not all the time. But for this, yes… nervous is good," she nodded.

"Fair enough," he nodded. "Tell me this, why'd you pick this song?"

"It was my favorite movie when I was little. My grandfather said I watched it so many times that I wore out the tape… a couple of times," she nodded, explaining.

"I can see that," Will gave her a smile. "Ready to give it a try?" She nodded. "Alright," he indicated the microphone. She took her place, and Will signalled for Brad. He began to play, and Will turned back to watch his student as she took a breath, and she began.

_[B] "Somewhere over the rainbow / Way up high, / There's a land that I heard of / Once in a lullaby. _

_Somewhere over the rainbow / Skies are blue, / And the dreams that you dare to dream / Really do come true."_

Will sat by the piano, watching. He'd always believed there was a lot to learn from someone in the songs they chose. There was always something special in the performance.

_[B] "Someday I'll wish upon a star / And wake up where the clouds are far / Behind me. / Where troubles melt like lemon drops / Away above the chimney tops / That's where you'll find me."_

Soon she would reprise her song, not just for him and Brad but for the whole club. They were the ones listening to her now, instead of the other way around. As quiet as she could be, there were times where it worked for her.

_[B] "Somewhere over the rainbow / Bluebirds fly. / Birds fly over the rainbow. / Why then, oh why can't I?_

_If happy little bluebirds fly / Beyond the rainbow / Why, oh why can't I?"_

THE END


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